


The Power of Words [W.D. Gaster x Reader]

by PratIdiotDollopheadClotpole



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Gaster is endgame, i'll add more characters and pairings later as things progress, i'm trying to get used to my new computer so excuse any errors made
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2018-10-22 23:01:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10706958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PratIdiotDollopheadClotpole/pseuds/PratIdiotDollopheadClotpole
Summary: Life was okay. Your job is mildly enjoyable, your family is relatively nice, and you had no friends.That's okay, right?Hmm? No? No, not really.But you highly doubt there's anything that can fix that.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: I've tried telling it to say 1/? chapters but it refuses to alter itself from 1/1 so I'll have to fix that when I add a new chapter. Sorry for any confusion!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you meet Gaster at school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> status: EDITED and REWRITTEN.

Let’s start things off simply: having been close to your mid-twenties, it had never properly been addressed that you could achieve your dream job in education at [HS Name] High School, the one you had gone to in your teen years.

Sure, you were incredibly hopeful that you would one day be an English teacher there, but you never imagined it would come to fruition. "Anxiety and self-doubt is a wonderful thing to live with" is what you would say, sarcastically, with a fake gleeful smile and a falsely encouraging fist-pump sideways.

Yet, it seemed that after the grueling years of college, life had decided it was high time to throw you the first of many bones; a big one at that. Once you had stepped into the classroom that you would soon eventually be educating a younger generation on the meek usage of "whom," memories came flooding back, along with the feeling of anxious giddiness. For once, it had made you feel like you couldn’t wait for the school year to start.

It was the happiest you had been in a while. Not just due to personal reasons, but the typical atmosphere of, well, everything. Socially, economically, politically, everything had gone downhill when… they came. Monsters, lead by a small human you supposed to be no older than seven at the time. Their presence gained an uproar of negativity everywhere. People were afraid of them, even if their king, with a kind face and calming voice (reminding you a little bit of your grandfather), had reassured them that they were not dangerous creatures. Humans didn’t listen, just as they always did in the face of something new and strange.

You? Well, you didn’t have much of an opinion, other than people shouldn’t be so quick to judge. You had learned a long time ago that doing so lead to a very slippery slope, one of which you wished to avoid.

The only thing you were sure of is the newcomers, the monsters, deserve as much respect and basic rights as any human should. Even so, you were highly aware that not even humans get those needs met. A depressing thought, isn’t it?

Even so, you knew that one day, monsters would be given the chance and freedom to live as they wished; and when that day came, you knew everything would be alright.

One thing you had noticed, though, is that not many monsters were being hired for teaching positions, which saddened you a little. You didn’t see them very often due to your lack of taste in going out, in part to your introverted nature. Internally, you wished you could be friends with any monster you came across (as the few you have met were the kindest creatures to ever grace this stupid rock of a fucking planet), but externally you are too much of a shy, introverted dumbass. You were semi-content with that result anyways, thanks to your anxiety making it seem as though everyone hates you for no reason.

However, you had heard a rumor spreading around that the school district was thinking of hiring a monster into your building to replace one of the 10th-grade science teachers. Considering you heard this from two sixteen-year-olds, you weren’t quite sure of the validity of it. Nevertheless, you hoped they would.

A sharp shout from the hall outside your classroom shook you out of your reverie, blinking a couple of times as your mind refocused on your surroundings. It took a few moments for your eyes to follow, seeing the dumb Shakespeare poster become more refined the more you blinked.

You lolled your head back, hearing a satisfying, dull-sounding 'CRICK' as you did so. Your eyebrows creased when you rolled your head to look down, spotting the empty space between the palm of your hand and the pads of your fingers.

You inwardly flexed the digits into your palm, vaguely remembering the black stapler that had been in your hand before spacing out. With eyes concentrated, you searched the area around you, finding nothing of the magically disappearing stapler.

You sighed exasperatedly, rubbing three fingers over your forehead. Perhaps it would be in your best interest to get one from one of the other teachers: you did promise your class you would get those essays back to them in time. You bit your bottom lip with uncertainty,holding a breath before releasing it as your choice was made.

Up to the Chemistry classroom it is for a fucking stapler.

* * *

Despite being all bones and magic, Gaster is terrified of human teenagers; reasonably so, of course. After all, when someone was isolated as long as he was, it’s hard to face the realities of the Surface, especially Sophomores.

Sighing and wringing his hands, or rather bones, Gaster waited with anxious anticipation. He had never done a presentation in front of a large class of humans.

The teacher, a middle-aged blonde woman, casually hurried around the room, prepping labs that were to be used later for a different class after this. She didn’t pay much attention to the bony skeleton up front, unaware of his inner thoughts.

He tried to regulate his breathing, attempting to think more an what to say rather than what the would do. He flipped through his manila folder, glancing over his planner.

A student, loudly and quickly talking to someone in the hall, grabbed ahold of the cold, metallic doorframe. They leaned on it, speaking more to the other person, before pulling themselves into the classroom. They gave a speck of a glance to Gaster, setting down their bag by their, most likely assigned, desk and sat down. She, he assumed, whipped out her phone and started to scroll through something.

He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

* * *

 It wasn’t bad in the slightest. Everyone was rather kind to the skeleton, despite being one of the rowdiest classes he’s ever come across.

When it came to questionnaire part of the presentation, they all happily asked something, sometimes invasive and sometimes not. Most of them were curious to the Underground and what it was like, which he had expected. Who wouldn’t want to know all about that?

As he was explaining the Echo flowers, someone poked their head in the room. She looked to be a teacher in her mid-twenties, eyes scanning for the blonde woman. Her searching stopped when her eyes snapped to the other teacher holding several test tubes.

Gaster zoned back in when she went over to Ms. Knapp, asking for something. What was he doing…? If only his thoughts could echo it to… him… Oh, yes, Echo Flowers! Clearing his throat (?), he continued to talk, distracting the class from the transaction going on between the two teachers.

* * *

 You quietly shut the door to the Chemistry room, holding onto the cool handle for a moment longer. Rapidly and shaking your head of the intrusive thoughts, you no longer had your mind set on the tall skeleton. No reason to think about it any longer, even if he was hella cute for being so bony and cracked.

Blinking a couple of times, you gripped the stapler a little more tightly. Curse your brain, and it’s stupid momentary crushes. Focus on those papers, [Name], focus on those papers.

"Yeah," you whispered to yourself assuredly, "focus on the papers."


	2. Sans [Chapter One]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you go to Grillby's for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because I'm a type 1 diabetic I can only drink diet soda's and water at restaurants and I'm just kinda slipping that in in the subtlest way possible

Bars weren't particularly your thing. Your dads, sure, but not yours. So when your dad, whom you don't particularly care to hang out with, offered to take you out to one, you reluctantly said yes. (Of course, after your mom harped on you for a good ten minutes to do so.)

That didn't mean you were any less uncomfortable. Public spaces like bars made you immensely nervous. You only ever tolerated it when you were with someone you liked. Your dad was not one of them.

However, your dad is still your dad, whether you liked it or not (this was a "not" situation). You at least wished he had chosen a better idea place to go, like Perkins on Main St. or even Taco Bell. Anywhere other than a goddamn bar.

You took a gander at your tangled hair in the mirror, absentmindedly pulling on same loose strands. The growing uneasiness in your gut made you feel worse with each passing minute.

You slept most of the day until your dad called you about an hour ago. You were _not_  looking forward to brushing the jungle you called hair.

A tired sigh left your lips as you rubbed your eyes and reached over and picked up a black brush.

**\---**

A hiss slipped past your teeth as you pulled the brush through your hair once more. Smoothing it down, you cringed at some of the hair that caught between your fingers. _That's what you get for sleeping all day._

Placing the brush down on the bathroom countertop, you popped open a small box by the sink and pulled out a black scrunchie. Carefully pulling your hair back, you stretched the scrunchie and wrapped it into your hair to make a simple bun. After that, you picked up a blue pencil lying by a container of wipes and swiftly stuck it in your hair.

Exhaling, you let your arms relax and drop by your sides. Staring at yourself in the mirror, you leaned forward and tugged on your hair to pull out some strands to frame your face.

Leaning back, you felt your shoulders droop as you looked at yourself in the mirror. You never really liked the way you look. Some aspects were okay, but most you hated.

Flicking the light of the bathroom off, you went over to your closet and pulled out a black and white shirt that had "Winchester Bros" printed in faded gray across the chest. You liked this shirt. You distinctly remember buying it at your first Supernatural convention. Ah, good memories.

It's a shame your dad doesn't like the show nowadays. It's only you, your mom, and your cousin that still enjoy it now out of your whole family (as far as you were aware). Dad gave up after season five, claiming it "wasn't funny anymore."

"Wasn't supposed to be, jackass." You mumbled, pulling the shirt over your head and grabbing your black Supernatural cardigan. Whether or not your dad noticed your clothing choice, it was still amusing to you.

Slipping on some combat boots and grabbing your bag off the door handle of your closet, you went out to your car and drove to the place your dad had told you to meet him.

**\---**

It was... quaint, is all you can really say. It was a fine brick building and, from your spot, was softly lit inside. Exactly your kind of aesthetic. As far as you could tell, it appeared to be a human-monster integrated bar. It looked friendly, so that was a plus.

Seeing your dad, [Father's Name], leaning against the side of his company car, you hesitantly pushed the door of your vehicle open and walked over to him.

"Hey, [Name]!" Your dad grinned in your direction, pushing himself off the car. Something felt off with the way he looked at you.

You immediately felt a relaxed atmosphere as you walked into the building, glancing around to see monsters hitting it off with their fellow humans. It made you swell with a strange feeling of happiness.

Distracted by your thoughts, you hardly registered your dad gently grasping your upper arm and pulling you to the front, where an oddly attractive fire elemental was cleaning out a glass (which you could only guess once had beer in it). You took a seat on the brown padded stool, looking away from the finely dressed monster as he glanced at you and your dad. Dad knew what that meant. Sighing, he ordered a beer for himself and a diet soda for you. Even if you worked as a high school teacher, it didn't mean you were any less of an introvert.The monster, whose name tag stated "Grillby" in clear, bold lettering, nodded in understanding and left. You noticed he didn't have a mouth, making you wonder if he could talk. He didn't have eyes either, yet he wore thin-rimmed glasses. Once gone, you looked over to your dad with a suspicious look in your eyes.

"Why did you bring me here all of the sudden?" You asked after a second, eyebrows furrowed.

Grillby came by and placed your drinks in front of you. [Father's name] picked up his beer and swished it around.

"Can't I just spend time with my daughter?" He retorted, earning him a blank expression.

The both of you decided to sit in silence after that. You knew something was up, but your dad was just as stubborn as you are.

You could sense Grillby's gaze further down the bar, still cleaning out a glass. Why he was looking at you, you didn't know. You weren't the only human here.

"Look, dad," you started once more, "whatever it is you want, the answer is no."

"But I never said there was anything." He pushed back, yet you could still tell he was lying. Probably waiting for the opportune moment to jump on you with a proposition you wouldn't have the guts to refuse.

The quiet grew awkward the longer it went unattended. You never liked the silence when you were with your dad. You felt the need to say something bit there was nothing even to say.

You sat like that for another half hour (at least, that's what it felt like) before he got up, saying, "I'm going to the bathroom. Be right back."

With a blank expression, you monotonously replied, "Didn't need to know."

You didn't watch as he walked guiltily.

You sat at the bar by yourself for another few minutes, then began to wonder what was taking him so long. _Maybe I should just leave..._ you thought, then shook it away. _I'm not that much of an asshole._

So wrapped up in your thoughts, you failed to notice the short skeleton in a blue jacket sit down two seats down from you.

**Do you...**

**A. Acknowledge Sans but don't say anything?**

**B. Initiate a conversation with Sans?**

**C. Wait for Sans to initiate a conversation with you?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the chapters from here on out will be interactive so please pick A, B, or C to help me out.


	3. Sans 2 [Chapter Two]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you exchange jokes with Sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [shows up two months late with Starbucks even though I don't drink that stuff]

From the corner of your eye, you spotted a blue mass move into a seat two down from you. The person turned towards your leering glance, forcing you to whip away and look towards the bathroom in embarrassment.

After a minute or two, you got bored of looking at the restrooms and starred down at the bar's countertop, taking a gander around for your dad every once in awhile. Blowing some cool air past your puckered lips, you laid your hand beside your drink and began to tap your fingers on the wood. The material of the bar wasn't smoothed over like most places, so your nails met with rough lumber. Now that you thought about it, the interior was mostly made of dark spruce wood, mahogany flooring, and dark bricking. Just your aesthetic.

You hadn't realized the skeleton, or the 'blue mass,' had been peering at you with intrigue since he sat down; you were too preoccupied with your thoughts and casually sipping on your drink.

Grillby, the bartender, placed a bottle of ketchup in front of him, taking his attention off of you. The skeleton looked at the bottle blankly for a second, then up to the fire monster and said, "It's nice to finally _ketchup_ , huh?" He winked as Grillby stared at him for a moment, then turned away to tend to other customers.

You tried your hardest not to snort. At all times to begin focusing, it had to be just then.

After getting over the initial internal hysteria of the pun, you slightly smirked as you glanced over at the restrooms once more, hoping to see your slow dad come out. It didn't _usually_ take this long.

. . .  
. . . . . .

Oh, finally! There he is!

"Did you die in there or something?" You asked jokingly, shifting to lay your chin in your palm as your dad slid onto the bar stool.

He chuckled, picking up his beer and explaining, "No, I ran into someone I knew." The drink swished in the glass as he swirled it.

You quirked an eyebrow."In the bathroom?" You asked. Your dad scoffed out a laugh; a small smile tugged at the corner of your lips at that. Even if your relationship with your father was mostly trial and tribulations, it didn't mean you couldn't have good moments like this. Calm and normal. Just how a father-daughter relationship should be.

You frowned once the two of you fell silent. A sigh slipped quietly from you before asking the question that's been on your mind all night. "But in all seriousness, dad, why are we here?" One of your hands grasped the edge of the countertop and pushed back to stretch, hearing it crack in response.

[Dad's Namee] looked hesitant. Almost as if he wasn't sure he wanted to tell you. Maybe he shouldn't tell you... No, this is for the best; for your own good.

"Your mother and I have been thinking about the situation with your brother..." oh, boy, you already don't like where this is going. "And we think it's time you started seeing people. Dating."

"No." The response came immediately. Both of your parents knew that if a romantic relationship were meant to happen, it would happen on its own and not forced.

Your dad groaned in exasperation, having already known what you would say. "Well, that's too bad." He said, taking a sip of his drink.

Your eyebrows furrowed as you glared at him through narrow eyes. "And why is that?"

"Mom already found someone who's willing to go on a date with you."

_"What?"_ You whispered incredulously. "I thought I told you no blind dates!" You glanced around the place, making sure no one heard you. The last thing you needed was to make a scene. "I knew you were buttering me up for some stupid reason."

"Listen, they're real nice. Got a good job working at that new popular restaurant downtown, they have similar interests and are cute." He tried to reason. You scowled at him.

"Parents shouldn't be setting their kids with up with potential people. It's weird, and I'd like you to _butt. **Out.** "_ You seethed, leaning towards him angrily. Grillby glanced your way curiously but quickly averted his attention elsewhere.

"Oh, come on, it's not that uncommon. Parents do it all the time." [Dad's Name] said, smiling in an attempt to ease the tension.

"That doesn't mean they should." You snapped back, sliding back to your upright position.

"Fine. Look, if that's such a big deal, just ask someone here and see what they think." He gestured vaguely to the people in the bar.

"Fine." Oh, you wish you hadn't said that. Who here looks kind enough to approach with a topic like this?

You bit your lip, eyes roaming the room before they landed on the skeleton beside you. You noticed a small child now sitting on the opposite side of him, happily swinging their legs back and forth while sipping on the straw of a juice box.

_Yeah, that works._

"Hey, you," you said, trying to get his attention. It worked as he jumped and took enough interest to look at you. He was a little startled by the rather **determined** look you had on and rose an eyebrow ( _what the fuck_ ) in response to go on.

"Do you think it's right for parents to set their kids up with a blind date?" Straight to the point. _Nice._

His eyebrow rose a little higher at the question, the kid silently sitting next to him still kicking their legs. Suddenly, his slightly unnerving smile got a little bigger.

"why would they set you up with a bat? you can't go on a date with something so small." He said, seeming cocky as he did. You gave him a confused but amused look before turning back to your dad.

"See? The guy who thinks he's punny says no." You jabbed a thumb at the skeleton, who spat out some of his ketchup at your response.

"Fine." Your dad raised a hand in defeat. "But you're still going on that date whether you like or not."

You groaned and let your face fall into the palms of your hands, ignoring your dad as he got up, chugging down the rest of his beer before pulling out some money and placing it down in front of you. He ruffled your hair up a bit, saying a quick goodbye before leaving. You frowned as he disappeared, patting your hair back down once he was gone.

"so," the skeleton drawled, "i didn't think i'd meet another jokester around here." You whipped to the right to look at him, surprised he willingly started a conversation with you.

You chuckled, nervously brushing some hair behind your ear. "You'd be surprised. Do new people not come through here often?"

"nah." He shrugged nonchalantly, drinking straight from the bottle of ketchup Grillby gave him. "it's been the same humans since it opened."

You hummed in understanding. Wrapping your hands around your drink, you silently argued with yourself to move and sit by the skeletal monster. _Be social,_ one part of you said. _No, leave him alone,_ said the other. You glanced over, still in thought. You were startled to find the brown-haired kid sitting on the other end of him leaning forward to "stare" at you intensely. At least, you think they were staring at you. It's hard to tell when you couldn't see their eyes. Though, it was almost as if they were begging you to move and sit by them.

Exhaling, you nervously tried to swallow your anxiety. Getting up, you lifted your drink and sat it down beside his ketchup bottle. The skeleton's eye sockets widened at the 'clud' sound it made on the wood, glancing at you as the kid clapped their hands in triumph. His white pinpricks for irises glided up to look at you, then to the outstretched hand.

"I'm [Name]." You greeted, smiling shyly. You took notice of his permanent grin widening just a little. He took your hand in his bony one, giving it a firm shake.

"sans." He said, the warmth of your hand tempting him not to let go. Your smile seemed to broaden a bit more in confidence.

"It's nice to meet you, Sans."

 

* * *

 

**Who should the reader meet next?**

**1\. Alphys**

**2\. Undyne**

**3\. Papyrus**

**4\. Toriel**

**5\. Asgore**

**6\. Chara**

**7\. Grillby (proper introduction)**

**8\. Flowey**

**9\. Mettaton**

**or**

**10\. Asriel**

**Please comment which one you chose!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments! I know this took awhile, but the comments really pushed me to finish this chapter. I'll try to be quicker for the next one, but please don't be afraid to leave a comment. Feedback is well appreciated!


	4. What a Stressful Life [Filler Chapter]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you go to Grillby’s for a second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s Grillby! Just a filler chapter to try and spread things out a bit. Also, sorry for the long hiatus. I… was having some major family and school issues that needed to be dealt with. I’ve wanted to return to this so much but I’m an avid procrastinator. Anyways, here this is. I’ll hopefully have more uploaded later in the week.

For once in your pathetic life, you felt the need to have a drink. A strong one at that. Which was unusual, to say the least. You hardly touched a drop of liquor in your life, something you picked up from your mom, with the exception of a few times when you were younger and someone let you have a sip. You gagged every time.

This time, however, the disgusting yeasty taste might be worth it. Maybe. Still a little hesitant. You'll think about that a little more.

To be fair, the reason you've been so stressed was **because** of your parents. Remember the whole "Blind Date" crap? Yeah, they wouldn't leave you the fuck alone about that.

The other thing that has you stressed beyond your limits is your _**stupid**_  brother, whom deserves unquestionably no respect from you, dearly wishes that he and his fiancé could come and stay with you for a week. Uh, that would a no, thank you. Not to mention you had your cat vaccinated and it made her extremely lethargic, so you were stressed with making sure she was alright and eating.

Surprisingly, your job was the least stressful (it's why your glad your subject doesn't require you to give out homework often). Besides, there isn't a whole lot to grade when half of your classes are all out from the sickness going around. Good thing you haven't caught it yet.

After all that, you were a little on the “fuck-all” side of things. Who wouldn't? Shit happens and you get over it. This was your way of getting over it.

Returning from work after a long day (being in charge of extracurricular activities is exhausting), you felt your body ready to give out on you and decided to take a nap. But what to do after you wake up?

* * *

 GRILLBY'S.

THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

Okay, you don't want to do Grillby's, but you've been meaning to go back since the first time. Plus, it's **remarkably** warm in there. The restaurant that used to be there was always **remarkably** cold.

Getting out of your warm bed, your grabbed the clothes you had set out and went into the bathroom. When you came back out, you had thrown on a plain, tawny-colored kilted skirt that stopped two inches above your knees, holding an intricate leaf design on the rim, a darker jacket with deep brown buttons with stretchable loops of the same look on the opposite side, thick tights of a kobicha shade, and a blank shirt. To top it all off, you threw on a pair of black-heeled boots and made your way to your car.

* * *

Perhaps you made a mistake. Yeah, coming here was a mistake. You inhaled quietly and turned to shuffle your way out of the busy building. Bodies, human and monster, covered practically every inch of the floor. You clutched the insides of your jacket in an attempt to cave into yourself and squeeze out.

A shaky breath fell from your mouth as the chilly night air hit you; the entrance door slamming behind you. With eyes closed, you tried to compose yourself before heading back to your car.

Something warm stopped you from opening the driver’s seat. Glancing out of your peripheral, you were shocked to see Grillby there, arm outstretched, with his hand covering yours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I /may/ have a side romance with Grillby before getting to Gaster or something. Maybe. If I can get at least fifteen people to say they want that, I’ll do it. (I lied. I'm doing it anyways.)


	5. Grillby? Flirting with me? It's more likely than you think [Chapter 4]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you invite monsters to a party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I am currently working on three new chapters that I will hopefully have dumped on Sunday. The Christmas and New Years one will be late but that’s okay, right?
> 
> yo this almost reached 2,000 words I'm actually pretty proud of that. I didn't even mean to write that much.
> 
> Anywho, I promised another chapter and here it is. I have (hopefully) two more to be done the next few days.

With widened eyes, you exclaimed his name in surprise, barely registering his hand still on yours until he slowly pulled it back. The absence of heat on it made your skin turn frigid once more. "What are you doing out here? It’s freezing!"

Grillby shrugged, seemingly indifferent as a light breeze whipped at the flames atop his head. Small droplets of rain began to fall, sizzling and disappearing into the inferno that is his body.

Your teeth chattered from the frosty, blistering air. "Does-does rain even affect you at all?" You stuttered, eyes narrowed as you slanted forward and peered up at him with interest and scrutiny. Once back upright, you realized just how much taller he was than you.

He shrugged once more, carefully watching as your arms wrapped around your body for warmth. The rain rapidly began to fall faster and harder, pelting the skin of your face and dampening your hair in the process. He reached out to take you back inside, but this time, you grasped the hand Grillby had stopped you with and pulled back towards the building. The wind and pressure of the rain forced the door to clap shut behind you loudly, but it became masked by the massive chatter of the people inside. His hand dropped from yours as you ran it through your hair, shaking to get the little bit of water out.

His fire faintly flickered as he stared, mesmerized by how you appeared so serene from such weather. The way your hair cutely frizzed up from the rain and humidity, the droplets slowly slipping down your now rosy cheeks, the way—no, he shouldn’t be thinking like that. How would people even react to a monster and a human romantically involved?

Relaxed, you patted and smoothed down your hair one more time before letting your arms drop, rolling your shoulders to ease your muscles. You took your glasses off and cleaned them with the hem of your shirt, gently placing the plastic frames back onto the bridge of your nose. Grillby saw you glance over at him then away to scan the people crowding around the scattered tables of the restaurant. The bar, oddly enough, seemed to be the only vacant place in the room.

Grillby's warm hand gingerly touched your shoulder, garnering your attention to him to gesture to the front. You nodded, letting the elemental take lead and head behind the bar. People bumped hips with you while traversing to an empty seat in front of him.

It only took him a matter of seconds to start putting customers drinks together, having memorized them all from earlier. Fortunately, no one was eating at this point, meaning less work for him. You watched silently, barely acknowledging the bustle of people beginning to leave gradually.

The more that left, the more you eased up; calmly, almost dreamily watching Grillby work. He could see the faraway look in your gaze, allowing him to wonder what was running through that mind of yours to make you so distant.

The hushed chatter of the building was soothing to you. _Not too much noise,_ you would think, eyes closed halfway in a halfhearted attempt to keep from falling asleep. You could feel your body jolt every once in awhile as your hand cupped your cheek, propping your head up. Grillby, with mild amusement, watched from down the bar, not noticing the lessening of people. Content with your relaxed state, he put his attention back on the beer glasses he was scrubbing clean.

Things were quiet, peaceful, over the next ten or so minutes. You, half asleep and dozing off further by the mere second, and Grillby, wandering around to clear off the tables. By now, everyone had parted ways and went to the warmth of their own homes. The restaurant was now closed, but Grillby didn’t have the heart to wake you and, well, kick you out. Fortunately _(not)_ , someone was about to do the 'waking up' bit for him.

Abruptly, the entrance door swung open, signifying someone had come in. Simultaneously, your cheek slipped from your palm, head taking a quick slam against the counter. The sudden blow forced you up, sucking in a breath and hissing as the pain began to set in. Your forehead started to throb seconds after.

Grillby wasn’t quite sure what to pay attention too: you, cradling your head in agony, of the newcomer, who, he could only assume, caused it. Before he could think to do either, the newcomer spoke.

"crap, kid, are you okay?" Why did that voice sound familiar?

Peeling an eye open, you barely turned to look out of your peripheral to see the one and only Sans looking panicked. The back of your eyeballs throbbed at the strain of trying to look that far. "Sans?"

"damn, kid, how hard did you hit your head?" The skeleton asked. Grillby stood off to the side, watching a small portion of the exchange before remembering what humans do to treat developing bruises.

You chuckled tiredly. "Hard enough, it would seem." Sans noticed tears beginning to form at the base of your eyelids. Oh, shit. Sans wracked his brain to find a solution. What was that thing humans did when they bump a part of their body?

Grillby came back out a second later with a semi-fluid object wrapped in a white cloth. You heard the crinkling and swishing of ice in a Ziploc, gaining enough of your attention to look up at the bartender as he held it out to you. You took it from his hand gratefully, mumbling thanks before pressing the brisk pack on your pounding forehead.

The awkward silence of the aftermath was starting to eat you alive. What were they doing; holding their breath? Do fire elemental's even required air in the first place? You knew for a fact Sans doesn’t have any lungs… Wait, does he?

The walking furnace soon slipped into the back once again. Pursing your mouth, you bit your bottom lip and took a sharp intake of air through your nose, feeling the runny snot from nearly crying fall back. You placed the ice pack on the counter and exhaled, peering over at the silent skeleton. The concerned look on his face made you snicker, smirking a little in amusement.

"You know I’m not dying, right? A little bump isn’t going to kill me." A light giggle slipped by at the end, making Sans chuckle back. He couldn’t help but notice the small sly gleam in your eyes.

"i guess humans are more _'headstrong'_ than i thought." You both sat in silence for a second, staring the other down before breaking down and laughing at the horrible pun.

Grillby came back after the following pun, probably grateful for not having heard it, and placed a glass of ice water in front of you. Only one thing seemed off with it: the single white, beautiful rose that sat in the water, leaning against the rim of the glass. The thorns had been expertly removed, leaving the green stem prick-free and smooth. Your eyes met with the fire monsters glass lenses, seeing him quickly avert his attention elsewhere. You swore you saw the flame atop his head flicker blue for a moment.

A sheepish smile tried to force its way up to the corner of your mouth. You bit your lip to try and keep from giving away your slightly flustered state. You couldn’t tell if he was flirting with you or being nice, but the gesture made you swell with giddiness. You slid the ice pack back to be leveled with the glass, then pulled the water closer and started sipping on it casually. Your head started to feel a little better from the refreshment, a sigh of contentment leaving you. The blue flame fluttered back once more, seemingly a little bit longer this time. Is that his way of blushing?

Sans sat there uncomfortably, watching this silent exchange between you and Grillby go on for at least a few awkward ass minutes. Catching onto Sans rather bewildered gaze, you cleared your throat and asked a question that had been on your mind for awhile. "So, uh, do you guys have anything interesting planned for your first big holiday on the surface?" Both of the monsters seemed to come back down to earth and shake their head.

You were genuinely shocked. "Really? But it’s one of the most significant times of the year! How can you not have something planned for something so important?" Both shrugged in response, forcing a bemused, slightly grim look on your features. Your eyebrows furrowed as you contemplated your next words. "Well," you mumbled thoughtfully, "if you don’t have anything to do, you can come to my place Christmas Day. I can host."

Sans blinked but didn’t reply. You still weren’t quite sure _how_ he does that. Grillby said nothing _(as per usual)._

Instinctively, you began to fidget. "Uh, t-that is if you’re comfortable with that, I mean." You rushed to explain, nervously toying with your fingers.

Sans looked contemplative. "kid, we’d love too, but…" he trailed off.

"But?" You pushed, biting your lip with your eyebrows creasing, anxiety beginning to brew in your stomach. Had you crossed an unknown boundary?

"wouldn’t that be weird? with, y'know, us being monsters?" Sans seemed to regret his words as he gained a sorrowful look in the white pinpricks of his hollow sockets. For someone with minimal expression, he sure knew how to get his thoughts and emotions across non-verbally.

"N-no? I think it’d be a great way to get to know each other." You glanced at them questioningly, then averting your attention back to the skeletal monster. "Besides, I wouldn’t mind getting to meet your brother."

The skeleton in the room seemed surprised, perking up a little at your response. "wait, you wouldn’t?"

You rolled your shoulder, glancing away with a small smile. "Yeah, I mean, you spoke so fondly of him last time we saw each other. Not very often do people say such things about their siblings, so…"

Sans scratched his skeletal cheek a little sheepishly, seemingly swelling a little with pride. "then i guess it’s a **date**." Grillby whipped to glare at him. "what do you say, grillbz?" Sans smugly asked, already knowing the answer. The other monster shrugged in response, still having an unrequited stare down with the skeleton that went unnoticed by you.

You took his shrug as a yes. Jumping up from your seat excitedly, you slammed your hand down on the counter and picked up the ice pack. Sans and Grillby gave you a weird look. 

"Awesome! I’ll see you then, yeah?" You, absentmindedly, delicately picked the flower from the half-drunk glass of water. "I have your number, Sans, so I’ll text you the details later, okay?" He didn’t have a moment to nod before you diverted your attention to dig through your pockets to find your car keys.

Making your way to the door, you swirled around and waved, fingers moving in sync down and up from your palm. You said a cheerful goodbye before spinning back around to the exit.

Just as you were pushing it open, you heard Sans say something to Grillby that almost made you stop in your bouncy tracks. "were you… were you _flirting_ with her?"

With a sinking feeling in your gut, you didn’t stall long enough to catch the reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have a New Years chapter that I want to post at midnight my time New Years (Eve) and I wanted to know if you guys would like that. Also, a late Christmas chapter will be posted before then and will feature: Papyrus, Burgerpants, Sans, Grillby, Bratty, and Catty. Is there anyone else that should be included? (Flowey, Frisk, and Mettaton, at the very least, are reserved for the New Years special. Toriel, Asgore, Chara, Alphys, Undyne, and Napstablook will also be saved for later to disperse the introductions more.)
> 
> Please comment! I really do value your feedback and opinions. Also, I am really sleep deprived so I might seem a little weird.


	6. String lights are pretty but not worth the damn time [Chapter 5]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you hold a Christmas party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't do a whole lot of editing for this chapter so I hope it's good enough. Anyway, here's the late ass Christmas chapter.

Anxiety swirled uncomfortably in your stomach when you woke up Christmas morning. You weren’t even quite sure _why_ you got up so early, considering there wasn’t much to look forward too. You had left the gifts you had bought for yourself under the tree the night prior. Tragic and sad, you would say, as beautiful string lights sat tangled in your hands while attempting to set them up.

You had purchased them in a try to liven up your home. It would have worked, if only you could fucking get them untangled and onto the wall.

Groaning and prying the cords off your fingers, you dropped them to the floor in a fit of frustration. You pursed your lips and left the room, coming back a minute later with a glass of water in one hand and your phone in the other, putting them both down in front of the piled mesh of lights. Careful not to kick the glass over, you walked over to the wireless stereo that sat on the mantel below the TV and turned it on.

You plopped back down in front of the irritating lights and cracked your fingers. Your stereo pinged, indicating your phone was now connected, and picked up the said smartphone. Once Thin Floors and Tall Ceilings by ODESZA filled the room, you put the devices down and started on untangling the lights again.

* * *

A hushed “FUCK!” left your dry lips for the fifth time in the past eleven minutes. By now, you were confident that your neighbors wanted to kill you. Even you wanted to kill your self at this point.

Trying to hang these lights was becoming pointless. You were beyond done with trying. Maybe you could call your dad to help yo—no, that would be pathetic.

Banging your head against the wall out of frustration seemed like a pleasant idea. Taking a deep breath, you slowly took your time to untangle them piece by piece. Songs from your days in choir played softly in the background. It was peaceful now and it would soon be shattered thanks to a certain skeleton. You sang along softly current music, gradually growing louder and more confident. The nostalgia and bittersweet feeling of your musical time in high school didn’t go unnoticed.

Sans leaned against your front door, unbeknownst to you, listening to the singing that came from inside. Your doors weren’t thin nor thick, so hearing your voice from the outside wouldn’t be impossible nor hard.

Once the song ended, he knocked, pulling you out of your nostalgic reverie. You were stunned to see Sans on the other end.

"You’re early." You said amusedly, leaning against the door frame. He looked sheepish, shifting from foot to foot only a little.

”seems like you’re having a party without me.” He said, pushing you to roll your eyes.

"Nope. I tend to blast music often. My neighbors must hate me because of it." You joked, but a little serious. You did sometimes get anxiety when you did that.

"nah." Was all Sans as he shoved last you. You rose an eyebrow but said nothing, shifting flat onto your feet and closed the door behind him. He stopped and stared at the lights on the floor.

"Yeah, I know. I couldn’t get them untangled and have been working on them for three hours." You told him, picking up your phone off the wooden floor and pausing the music.

"need any help?" He said after a moment, his white pinpricks gliding to you.

"Sans, you know I do. Do you want some ketchup? I bought some for you." You pointed down the hall from the living room.

Seemingly distracted, he said, "uh, yeah, sure, thanks, kid."

"No problem."

You went into the kitchen, hearing an odd humming coming from somewhere in the house. You ignored it and grabbed a bottle of ketchup. When you rejoined the skeleton in the front room, you noticed that lights on the floor were now completely untangled and laid flat.

"What—how?" The condiment almost slipped from your grasp in astonishment. Sans shrugged smugly, looking rather damn proud of himself.

"what can i say, kid? i've got a **power**."

"You sure as hell do." You replied, handing the red glass over to him before you actually did drop it. "How on earth did you do that so quickly?" His shoulders went up and down again. You snorted, shaking your head and walking up to them. You bent down and picked up one end.

"Wanna help me put them up?" You asked, smiling.

"sure, why not?"

* * *

You were done with them an hour later, quite pleased with the work you had done. Sans and you laid on the floor, finally relaxed from pinning them up. The string of lights cascaded beautifully down the wall.

"I’m not getting up ever again." You stated heavily, slightly heaving. Sans agreed tiredly with closed eyes. Both of you felt like melting through the cool wooden floor, which felt amazing against your flushed skin.

A whine came from the back of your throat. "Ugh, I still have to cook." Reluctantly pulling yourself up, your u sat criss-crossed for a moment to contemplate life before getting up and heading to the kitchen.

You flipped on the stove and altered the temperature. Opening the cupboard, you pulled down the string pasta noodles, along with the Alfredo and tomato sauce.

“Does Papyrus like meatballs?” You asked Sans, not looking at him as you searched to find the said meat.

“yeah, he’s real _noodles_ for them.” He winked, and you cringed _._

“That… was so bad, Sans.”

His shoulders slumped. “yeah, i know.” You giggled and continued making the meal.

* * *

It didn’t take very long to prepare and have ready on time, especially considering that it did take an hour to do the previous activity. Sans had eventually lain himself down on the couch in front of the lights to "take a nap." You weren’t sure if that was true since he was never truly in that room every time you checked.

Snacks had been laid out across the kitchen counter, along with bowls, plastic plates, and utensils. You had no idea how many people Sans invited, meaning you had to take an estimate.

A thump sounded fell through the quiet house. "Sans, you okay?" You shouted, hoping it was him that made the noise. No response came.

Concerned, you moved out of the kitchen and into where you heard it, seeing Sans in there (for once). Except he wasn’t in the chair but on the floor, having a stare down with your cat. [Cat's Name]'s paw was held up, ready to swat at him curiously. You laughed and Sans gave you a slightly dirty look.

You made a move to look like you were gonna pounce on the cat, making her whip to you and bolt in the opposite direction. You snickered and helped the lazy skeleton back onto his feet.

"Don’t worry, she won’t do anything to you. You’re the first monster she’s seen so far." You told him, still slightly amused by the interaction. "What’d she do exactly?"

Sans shrugged. "not really sure now." You gave him an odd look before looking at the time. Five more minutes until people started showing up.

* * *

The first to show was Grillby, which wasn’t a surprise. It was somewhat obvious that he would be more punctual, though he was surprised to see Sans there before him.

Then came Catty and Bratty. You understand Catty's name, since she was, you know, a cat, but Bratty didn’t make much sense. She didn’t seem to be a brat? You greeted them kindly, finding them to be quite the intriguing figures.

Papyrus was the next to show. He was far sweeter than Sans had first described. You had never met someone who was just as enthusiastic to meet a new person than him. Smiling was inevitable when in his presence.

After that was Burgerpants, whom you could tell you’d have something in common with. He gave off that… "done with life" vibe that you always felt in yourself.

A few more monsters littered in, who you spoke to throughout the course of the party. This was, quite possibly, the most fun you’ve had since you graduated from college. Maybe even high school.

You spoke with everyone there multiple times. A few flirtatious comments and looks to Grillby, a couple jokes thrown at Sans, and plenty of complaining with Burgerpants. It was fun. You were having an amazing time, feeling the adrenaline rush of socializing.

You knew it would end soon and your mood dropped. It picked up once Papyrus came over to you, seeming nervous and fiddling with something in his hands.

"Is something wrong, Papyrus?" You asked in a motherly tone; eyebrows furrowed just a little.

"SANS SAID YOU WOULD LIKE THIS." He said, holding out a metal keychain that swung a little bat made of the same material at the bottom. It took a second to click before you held back a snort. A large smile took place as the tall skeleton plopped it into your palm. The first pun he ever made to you and how you met. You had a sneaking suspicion Sans wouldn’t be going anywhere for awhile.

"Thank you, Papyrus." You told him, making eye contact with Sans out of the corner of your eye.

* * *

The rest of the event went off without a hitch after that. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and so did you. Except, now it was time to say goodbye. You felt saddened when the first monsters, Catty and Bratty, came up and told you they were leaving. Then it was Burgerpants, telling he had a great time just being able to talk to someone. Some other monsters left and then it was just Grillby, Sans, and Papyrus.

You were with Sans when Grillby came by, giving you a quick peck on the cheek (which you found off but didn’t question) before he left as well. You didn’t notice Sans' smug look or Papyrus' moderately shocked one.

Once the last two skeletons had taken their leave, Papyrus having gratefully thanked you, and you were left to clean up, you felt empty. Not drained particularly, just… lonely now.

You sat in front of the lights Sans had helped put up and let the bittersweet feeling eat at you until it was in the early hours of the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha I had to make it angsty
> 
> Anyway, please leave a comment or kudos! Feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> Here's the link to the song mentioned at the beginning of the chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRjSG0eTMEY
> 
> If you haven't heard of ODESZA, I would definitely give them a try with that song. (I literally have two of their songs playing separately from my computer and my TV simultaneously right now.)


	7. That feel when you almost slip in the bathroom and your life flashes before your eyes [Chapter 6]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you got to New Year's party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me die please this was /eight pages worth/ of writing
> 
> I'll see you all in the next chap and don't forget to leave a comment or some kudos!

2018\. You held onto the hope that this year would be better than the last. Those hopes though? Not very high.

A moan of contentment left your lips as you sunk further into the steaming bath water, a mug of hot cocoa resting in your hands to keep them warm. A speaker sat on one corner of the tubs ledges, airily playing your favorite ODESZA songs. This moment was possibly the most carefree you've been in weeks.

Sleep felt strong in your restless eyes, unsure of how much longer you could keep them open. The other side of the bath you left vacant to place your mug on, twisting around to slip it onto the rim and laying back down. The muscles in your shoulders tensed up as you rolled them, then relaxed as your eyelids slid closed. There wasn't much harm in taking a short nap in the tub, right?

* * *

**WRONG.**

Assumedly hours later, you woke up, eyelids struggling to stay open from being closed for so long. The water felt borderline freezing as it subtly swashed against your body. Groggy and shivering, you heard a soft knocking from the front door resonating in the quiet, empty house.

You, not so gracefully, launched yourself out of the bathtub, nearly slipping to your untimely death from your stupidity in the process. You grappled for the sizeable blue towel hanging on one of the hooks in your panic, almost ripping the fabric by the pressure of your body lurching forward. Your heart pounded from the adrenaline coursing through you. Slowly and carefully, heavy panicked breaths escaping you, you shifted to be back wholly on your feet and dripping water onto the rug.

Remembering the person at your door after yet another persistent knock, you ripped the towel off of the hook and frustratingly dried yourself off, silently cursing in irritation as you wiped the droplets of water from your legs. Another knock coerced you to shout “I’m coming, chill out!”

You, still goddamned butt naked, shot out of the bathroom and grabbed some clothes from your closet to throw on. Popping your head through the top hole of your sweater, you shook your head to get some more water out before rushing down the carpeted stairs and halting in front of the door. You smoothed your hair down and hesitantly opened it.

Sans, to your surprise, was chilling on one of your porch seats. Momentarily, you were shocked, relieved, and ending on pissed. With eyebrows furrowed, you exclaimed, albeit jokingly, “Good GOD Sans, you nearly killed me just now!”

He looked up at with an eyebrow of his cocked in confusion and slight skepticism. You gave the monster the scolding mother stance of hands-on-hips-and-a-glare, lips pursed as you looked utterly exhausted.

”did you just run a marathon, kid?” Sans asked, grinning cockily. You huffed and pinched your nose.

”Damn well feels like it with the panic you just sent me through.” You placed your hand on the left side of your chest to allude to your pounding heart.

"yeah?" He challenged. "and how'd i'd do that?" You finally noticed his legs propped up on the stool in front of him. Certainly making himself at home, isn't he now?

You shook your head and simultaneously rolled your eyes, crossing your arms as a hip jutted out in response as it usually did. "I fell asleep in the bath, and you woke me up, okay?" Saying it out loud felt weird.

Sans tried to hide his snort of pure amusement, but he failed and prompted another eye roll from you.

"how long?" He inquired, trying to keep the massive grin on his face.

"How long was I asleep?" He nodded. "Depends. What time is it?"

"six pm."

"Oh, seven hours then."

". . ." You heard him make a snirt type of noise.

"You can laugh, Sans." You clarified, prepared to hear him burst into hysterics. Aaaannnnd there it is. Yup. That's nice, buddy, laugh at your misfortune.

Through his hilarity, he managed to wheeze out a simple "sorry, kid" before continuing to giggle like a toddler on drugs.

You bit and licked your lip, eyebrows lifting in a snap before going back down to their original position.  "Look, man, your knocking freaked me out, and I panicked, okay? So, I slipped in the bathtub—stop giggling, Sans, you're turning blue." He continued to snigger under his breath for another moment before taking a deep inhale, holding it, then releasing it after a few seconds.

"you say you slipped?" His ever-present grin was vigorous with delight, but at the very least he wasn't laughing anymore.

"Yes." You stated curtly. "I slipped trying to get out of the tub due to your insistent knocking."

Sans gained that smug gleam in his eye-sockets, edging you into an uneasy state. "so what you're saying is you _**fell**_ for me."

You paused, about to be annoyed, but was unpleasantly disappointed in yourself when you laughed. The short skeleton looked rather proud of himself as a bony arm came to lean on the armrest.

"Sans," you giggled, "I almost DIED. Have some sympathy for me, man." You playfully smacked his elbow off of the armrest. Abruptly, a thought popped into your head. "Wait, what _are_ you doing here?"

His big grin shifted into a look of sudden realization. The opposite door that hadn't yet opened creaked when you leaned against it in an attempt to ease the growing ache in the balls of your feet. "oh, yeah, paps wanted me to invite you to the new year's party he's throwing tonight."

"Party? So, you're saying you won't do anything for Christmas day but will for New Year's Eve?" You scrutinize.

"in our defense, it was basically christmas everyday in snowdin." 

"Really? That's kind of cool." Sans shrugged. "Well, give me a time and address, and I'll be there."

* * *

You were not one hundred percent sure what you wanted to wear; not that you were trying to impress anyone, you're just a highly indecisive human being. Did you want the sweater or the jacket? You loved both but simply couldn't decide on just one. Finally, you just went with the "eenie-meenie-minie-moe" bit you used to do as a kid and landed on the sweater. A different one from earlier, you should clarify.

Doing your hair and a little makeup, you threw on the last article of clothing was on, you went out to your car after letting it heat up a bit and opened up the message you requested Sans send you. You mapped out the way to his home in Google Maps and were on your way.

Boy, you are going to be in for quite the shock.

* * *

It was a mansion—a fucking mansion.

In relativity, you knew the place. Rather well, actually. Once upon a time, your brother had a friend who lived there when he and you were still in primary school. That kid also stole your brother's iPod Nano. Now you know why they stopped being friends, the end.

You had been in the large estate only a few times, you recalled from foggy memory. Admiration was something you always had for the dwelling, despite the 'over-the-topness' of the whole thing. Nevertheless, you couldn't help yourself but to wonder why two skeletons lived in such a massive home. Did they not live alone like you initially thought or was it something else you couldn't think of at the moment?

You weren't quite sure how Sans knew you were there, but he did and opened the door for you to come in. You greeted and thanked him politely, but with a suspicious hint to it. The skeleton appeared to get the hint and gave you a shit-eating grin.

You actively ignored him when a kid—a human kid—ran up to you with a plant, a flower, in their arms. The flower had a face that sneered at you for whatever reason. You crouched in front of them and smiled kindly.

"You must be Frisk." You greeted. "Sans and Papyrus have told me a lot about you." You side-eyed Flowey with a little hesitance and slight disdain. He saw.

The flower monster looked you up and down distastefully, then up to Frisk. "Geez, another human? How many are there?" He asked them snootily, not even bothering to direct their question to you. Before the kid could do anything, you beat them to the punch.

"Seven billion." You gave in to the forming shit-eating grin that almost mirrored Sans'. The look on the poor plant's face was priceless.

Once straightened, you patted the younger humans head and swung towards Sans, immensely proud of yourself for dissing a plant.

"you showed him," Sans told you as you slipped onto a stool beside him. You chuckled.

"I work with teenagers. Sometimes, you gotta be snarky in return if you want results." You replied, leaning back against the counter.

You took a moment to assess to people that were there. Papyrus you spotted first, happily chatting off the ear of some poor robot, whom actually looked rather familiar. Sans was next to you calmly drinking from a bottle of ketchup; Burgerpants, Catty, and Bratty were tied up in a small group off to the side; and the rest were all monsters you've seen at Grillby's or not at all, the only other human being little old Frisk.

Speaking of the fire monster, here he comes. Grillby gave you a quick once over, whether out of admiration or judgment of your choice in clothing was unclear. You pushed yourself off the stool and hugged him, relishing in the heat he gave off despite such direly cold weather. Grillby ignored the eyebrow wiggles from Sans, silently grateful that your back was to the skeleton. No one noticed the other skeleton with a cracked skull staring at the two of you. Not of envy or any negative emotions, but of curiosity and... familiarity?

You pulled away from the walking source of heat, smiling and greeting him shyly. You don't hug people often, having been distant from people for so long. You didn't even hug your own parents often. Grillby should feel damn well good about himself.

Regardless, you were glad he came to this.

Sans wiggled his partially nonexistent eyebrows at you and the bartender suggestively, prompting an eye-roll as Grillby sat down on the stool next to yours. You followed suit and spun lightly in your chair to face him. Butterflies rose in your stomach when your knee bumped into his. He didn't seem to mind your knee pressing up against his, so you hesitantly left it there. Fortunately, Sans couldn't see the small, insignificant transaction and continued drinking his condiment as you preoccupied yourself with Grillby.

* * *

Most of the time you spent talking with the two monsters on either side of you, occasionally checking on Papyrus and the mystery robot curiously. The younger skeleton was still babbling on about something with the metallic monster, whom you still couldn't place your finger on an identity. 

Sans recognized the confuddled look you kept glancing in their way, piecing two and two together.

"you wanna go talk to mettaton?" He asked, pressing himself away from the counter and making a move to get off his eat.

"That's who he is?" You clarified to yourself thoughtfully. You had heard of the rising star but was unaware of what he looked like in reality. No one had obtained proper photos of him, and most of the ones that yprocured were horrendously rendered or photoshopped. Yeah, humans are that shitty. He was far more attractive than you anticipated, and that intimidated you a terribly large amount. Welcome to Anxiety Land™. "I knew I recognized him from somewhere, but I didn't think it was _him_."

Mettaton apparently heard someone say his name as he looked around and landed on the only face he hadn't seen before: yours. He peered at you curiously, temporarily ignoring everything Papyrus was saying (the tall skeleton was too far absorbed in his story even to notice), as you were the only adult human there. Frisk was off running around trying to piss Flowey off.

You adamantly avoided MTT's gaze unrelenting gaze, trying not to attract too much attention from him as you are, in fact, a fan, and very much unnerved at this point. You ultimately failed when Sans grabbed your hand and tugged you over to the stylish robot. You sent Grillby a desperate but silent plea to save you. He only watched you get dragged away. What an ass. A hot ass, but still an ass overall.

Papyrus stopped talking when he saw his brother and you coming forth. He happily greeted you, to which you sheepishly returned the favor in hopes of ignoring the robot.

Up close, Mettaton was even more androgynous than you expected. Somehow, you found comfort in that fact.

"hey, metta, i found you a fan." THAT'S how Sans is going to introduce you? You glanced at Sans and then to Mettaton like a deer in the headlights. 

Mettaton seemed a little lost for a second before a giant grin split across his face. He took both of your hands in his; which, to your surprise, weren't at all cold despite their metallic feel.

"Oh, darling, it is so nice to finally meet you! you must be the human Papyrus has so fondly spoken of!" He greeted, causing you to blink in silence momentarily. Not at the fact that greeted you with so much enthusiasm or the fact that he was holding your hands, but that Papyrus felt you were so worthy to be spoken of. _Fondly_.

"O-oh, it's nice to meet you too." You stammered awkwardly. "You're so cool..." Okay, that wasn't meant to slip out.

Mettaton chuckled but didn't seem like he was going to tease you for it. "Why thank you, dear, that's very nice of you to say!"

You had a feeling you're going to like this guy, you thought, continuing to talk with him and papyrus while Sans stood off to the side and eventually went back to Grillby. You stayed for a while, chatting about this, that, and nothing. You were genuinely surprised at how quickly you became comfortable with him.

Things went smoothly during the conversation, up until you felt something sifting through the back pocket of your jeans. Frozen still and a little nervous, you stopped talking and reluctantly whipped around, startled to see one of Flowey's petals—which you could only assume was his own form of a hand—in the pocket of where your phone was fitted. He looked at you like a child having been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. He, then, grinned maliciously and shouted "NOW!" Apparently, that was Frisk's cue to fucking bolt with your phone in Flowery's grasp, shouting "PAYBACK" also as they went.

"Hey!" You shouted offensively, taking off to chase down your phone from the two little twerps.

Mettaton and Papyrus both looked off in your general direction flabbergasted, before busting out laughing as you screamed in the distance at two tiny creatures to give back your device.

* * *

You felt giddy with joy. You danced, you mingled, chased a fast little toddler carrying a flower that held your phone... Overall, you were glad to end the year on a good note. Now, the night was almost over, midnight reaching its peak soon enough. In a short few minutes, it would be 2018 and the hell year of 2017 would be over. You couldn't wait any longer for that to be so.

Eventually, every monster plus the two humans were lined up in front of the large flat-screen TV, anxiously waiting for the ball to drop. It had actually been quite some time since you watched it, most of the time to preoccupied with something else to care the past few years.

Grillby's hand rested on your waist, bringing back the butterflies from earlier and making you feel even giddier. You were smiling softly, but somehow it reached your eyes. Grillby glanced at you as you did to him, leaning into him a little more affectionately. His grip tightened only barely.

_**Ten. . .** _

The countdown had started.

_**Nine. . .** _

_**Eight. . .** _

You could only hope the new year would bring good fortune for you.

_**Seven. . .** _

_**Six. . .** _

2017 was ending on a good note, allowing 2018 to start on the same.

_**Five. . .** _

_**Four. . .** _

You peered at the fire elemental once more.

_**Three. . .** _

_**Two. . .** _

At the last second, you felt a pair of eyes on you. A ringing chorus of _**"ONE!"**_ filled the anticipatory air of room loudly as your eyes connected with those of the skeleton with the cracked skull.

What did that mean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy very belated New Year! As you can see, this was much larger than anticipated, and I massively procrastinated on it, so forgive me for that. But here it is! Please take it! I beg you!
> 
> also the ball drop is a fucking pun guys///// "ball drop" is another term for male puberty right? so that means the year is /hitting puberty/
> 
> haha get it i hate myself have a nice day


	8. Skeleton One, Skeleton Two… Skeleton Three?! [Chapter 7]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has not been rewritten and hardly edited. I’ve been busy with school and training to be a dog walker for my local humane society. I’ve also been extremely tired but boy do I miss writing this fic. Anyways, enjoy whatever this late crap is and do comment! Feedback is always appreciated and I could use some positivity right now.

_Gaster had noticed that you were beginning to sway from exhaustion after Grillby went home. He had been “introduced” (not exactly; you had almost spilled your drink on him) to you only a short time before New Years Eve become New Years Day._

_Most people had left at this point except a few; some lived there and some didn’t. [Name] was one that didn’t. It was obvious you weren’t in the right state to drive, so Gaster had to think of something, as Sans and Papyrus were nowhere to be seen. It must’ve been bedtime for the taller but younger skeleton._

_As Gaster sat beside you on the couch, a sudden pressure on his shoulder shocked him out of his thoughts. His eyelights switched to you, asleep and leaning against him. His cheeks made of bone flushed a little, making him aware of the growing heat of his own face and your body. Your lips were parted slightly as soft breathes came from them. He could only wonder why you had become so exhausted within only an hour. Now that he thinks about it, he’s not even sure why he’s still up as well. Must be all those late nights in the lab._

_Gaster gently pushed your body to lean against the back of the couch to stand up himself. He swooped his arms under the crook of your knees and behind your back to lift you off the cushion as carefully as he could. Subconsciously, you curled into yourself in his arms to keep your head from lolling back painfully. He paid very little attention to it as he located the closest guest room._

_Gently, he laid you down on the bed. He took your shoes off and placed them in the floor to pull the blanket out from under your legs. The comforter fluttered over your still body, the thickness of it barely masking the rise and fall of your chest. Gaster picked up the shoes and placed them by the front door downstairs._

You woke up New Year’s morning in a bed that evidently wasn’t your own. You tried to recall what happened after midnight but couldn’t quite remember. _So, it’s gonna be one of those mornings,_ you thought disgruntled. The last thing you really remembered was chatting with a rather attractive skeleton. What did they say their name was? They seemed familiar…

Reluctantly propping your upper body up from the cozy and magnificently decorated bed, you blinked a couple times to rid yourself of the sleep in your eyes. You wondered if you had fallen asleep before you could return home and Sans brought you up to a guest room. Fortunately, you noted in a small panic, that you were still in your clothes from yesterday. Or today, really, since at least you knew you were there past midnight.

Your lips pursed as you thought it would be odd to try and sneak out, but deemed the idea to be a little awkward if you were caught. Besides, where on earth are your shoes? You don’t recall taking them off all throughout last night. They werent underneath or around the bed. Maybe Sans would know…

With much reluctance, you threw the blankets off you and got up. A shiver ran up your spine as the pads of your feet touched the cold-of-the-morning hardwood floor. You turned and shifted the pillows back to—what you assumed—their original position, bringing the comforter flat onto the mattress and smoothing it out.

Proud of the way it looked, you looked around for a mirror and found one located on the west wall by the window. You opened the curtains to the window first, letting the natural light cover the room. A brush laid on the drawer connected to the mirror. You picked it up, inspecting it to make sure it was clean, before bringing it up to the top of your head and pulling it through your sleep-knotted hair.

You messed with your hair a bit to make sure it was presentable enough in case you ran into either of the skeletons (you didn’t remember much of the third handsome one, unfortunately, and only hoped he didn’t live with them). You tugged on your clothing to make sure nothing was twisted. Your shirt definitely is from your well-deserved rest.

Once pleased with your appearance, you placed your hands on your hips and exhaled. You glanced at the door in the mirror, anxiously bracing yourself for leaving the room. _Please don’t make me run into someone._ Your luck dropped the second you took one step out of the threshold.

"MS. [YOUR NAME]!" You flinched, unnoticeably, as Papyrus' voice met your ears. You looked to your right to see him there, wearing the same thing he wore last night. Not that you could really judge.

"Oh. 'Morning, Papyrus. You wouldn’t happen to know where my shoes are?" Dammit. _Please let me die now…_

"i think i saw them by the door." You jumped again, squeaking inaudibly as you whipped around to see Sans directly behind you. When the hell did he get there?

Before you could thank him and be on your way, Papyrus jumped in scoldingly. "BROTHER, DO NOT SCARE THE HUMAN!" You almost laughed at the irony as the tall skeleton had scared you alongside his brother. As they started bickering (more or less one sided), you stepped out of the way and down a separate one to escape them. Problem: you found yourself lost almost immediately.

You spun around, peering down all wings of the area, and straining your ears to hear for the two skelebros. You stood there awkwardly, feeling rather dumb considering _you’ve been here before._ You scratched the back of your head silently, trying to shove down the growing anxiety.

You racked your mind for a solution, distractedly spinning on your heel only to come face-to-chest. In a quick haze, your hands came into contact with something smooth and dusty in texture, stopping you from falling backwards. You blinked at the hands holding you up.

"Are you alright?" You blinked once more and looked up at the source of the voice. _Boy, howdy,_ you could only think. Realizing you were dazedly still holding an older looking skeletons hands, you gulped in embarrassment and dropped them, not quite registering the obvious holes in the palm area.

You wiped your sweaty hands on your thighs and cleared your throat, nodding in indication that you are fine. Apparently, he hadn’t noticed your discomfort but someone else had.

“oh, hey gaster, looks like you met our guest.” Said skeletons attention turned to Sans, who just so happened to appear at that moment. “gaster, this is [name]; [name], this is gaster, my…”

**A) brother**

**B) father**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Options! Feels like it’s been awhile. Should Gaster be Paps' and Sans' eldest brother or father? Let me know by picking A or B!
> 
> Anyways, Happy Valentine's Day! Always remember to leave a comment or kudos!


	9. A/N

Not a chapter update, but good news at the end!

I just wanted anyone who actually follows this fic that I haven’t abandoned it, it’s just that the last month and a half has been hell. I had to get a root canal after having a month of tooth pain (thank you orthodontists for that) and missing a little bit of school due to it, I have it (mostly) fixed by this point. And I’ve working hard to get my grades back up to where they need to be, so I feel I’m ready to come back to writing!

Now for the good news: I am finally done with all my standized testing and will have time to finish the next chapter (and maybe another) this weekend! But first, a poll.

Who should be the next character the reader meets?

**1\. Alphys**

**2\. Undyne**

**3\. Toriel**

**4\. Asgore**

**5\. Chara**

**6\. Muffet**

**7\. Or any other character! Just comment which one!**


	10. Pan of Cakes [Chapter 8]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you formally meet the Skeleton Dad™.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry it took me so long to actually get this done, and even more so that it’s so short. But! I hope to have a longer chapter come sooner rather than later this time, so keep an eye out for that.
> 
> Anyways, here’s the crap!

"... father." Trying to keep your shock to a minimum, only your eyebrows quirked up in surprise. It was evident Gaster is related to Sans and Papyrus, as there are very few skeletons to begin with, but you didn’t think that he was their father. He looked far too young to be the dad to two adult monsters.

“Father, huh?” You repeated, shuffling your feet a little to accommodate the growing tension in the muscles of your shoeless heels. You felt compelled to ask how on earth he was so young, but decided that was a story for another day; one that you hoped you’d be around long enough to hear.

You brushed a hand through your hair as it was starting to get in the way, blinking a couple times before holding your hand out to Gaster.

“It’s nice to formally meet you.” You greeted, properly this time, a gentle quirk making its way to the corners of your lips. Gaster tried his hardest not to stare. It wasn’t often he met a pretty person, especially a human as kind and awkward as you. He wasn’t much better in the awkward stage.

You chuckled lightly once your hand dropped out of Gaster’s and back to your side. “Shoes?” You said to Sans, indicating that you wished to go home.

“WHY ARE YOU IN SUCH A HURRY TO LEAVE, MS. [LAST NAME]?” You heard Papyrus say from behind you (how the _hell_ did he get there?), making you jump slightly for what felt like the millionth time today. Gaster smiled in amusement. “YOU SHOULD JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST! I MADE PLENTY OF THE PAN OF CAKES FOR EVERYONE.”

All three of you snickered a little, trying to hide it from the kind skeleton. Even so, Gaster and Sans could sense your hesitance.

“Please, it would be a pleasure to have you.” Gaster requested, gesturing towards Papyrus. From this, you could clearly see the holes in his hands now, wondering if it was done naturally or not. You glanced between him, Sans, and Papyrus before softly sighing in compliance.

“I guess it couldn’t hurt to have some…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This hasn’t been edited AT ALL, so it’s probably pretty crappy.
> 
> PS: comments and feedback are ALWAYS appreciated! It’s what gets me off my ass to actually update this fic.

**Author's Note:**

> Should I replace all the pronouns to be gender neutral? I feel like I should.
> 
> Anyway, I am so excited for this fic! I intend on really pacing it out for better practice while I'm rewriting all my other fics (which is why I'm not presently updating them). But yeah! Here ya go
> 
> Also, if there are any mistakes, let me know and I'll fix them.


End file.
